TOCCA has been a favorite in my fragrance collection for a long time now, and recently I had the privilege to experience the brand’s new Lucia fragrance for my collection. TOCCA’s Lucia imparts aromas of Italian Lemon, Fig, and Vetiver. It’s luminous, captivating, soulful, and ideal for a decadent dreamer eternally living in the moment. Lucia is a tribute to the Italian tradition of dolce far niente, which means “it’s sweet to do nothing.” This pleasant idleness stokes the desire for inner beauty, wisdom, and gratifying personal indulgence. Sunlit lemon and woody vetiver slow-dance in quiet reverie with lush figs from the garden in Lucia.
I chatted with Joyce Barnes, the COO of TOCCA, about the transitions and explorations of the brand for the past 30 years, along with insight into the fragrance business and the expansion mission for TOCCA.
“The TOCCA brand is now at Ulta, it is a very exciting relationship for us,” says Joyce Barnes. “We love what Ulta is doing in the beauty space. The clients who shop at the stores are beauty-savvy, sophisticated, and know what they want. We feel that TOCCA is the perfect fit for their clientele, and the brand is already performing above expectations. We’re very much looking forward to what’s to come in the next year and beyond.”
Describe your typical day as a COO at TOCCA.
One of the things I love about working at TOCCA is that every day is a different challenge or opportunity. I’ll often start with a touch-base with our CEO and founder, Gordon Finkelstein, who is really hands-on and incredibly passionate about this brand he created almost 30 years ago! We’ll talk about everything from trends in our category, how we’re looking in-store and what’s performing, feedback from our international distributors, to any interesting initiatives or products that we’re seeing among our competitors. We’ll have a product development meeting and go over future product launches and that will often roll into a production meeting. During the holidays, we have to keep a close eye on our inventory to make sure that we’re not surprised by any unexpectedly large POs (a great problem to have, but we’ll want to make sure we’re moving up delivery dates on any replenishment orders so we’re not tight on stock leading into Black Friday and Cyber Monday).
I read in your biography that you previously interned at TOCCA. How have your past experiences shaped your current role as a COO?
I started my career in finance and then moved to TOCCA after business school and a couple of years at Tiffany. They’ve all helped me be better at this job. My finance job gave me a good understanding of how businesses work, but the best thing was it really reinforced the value of hard work, conscientiousness, and caring about every little detail of what you’re putting out there. Tiffany helped me understand luxury, merchandising, and branding. And TOCCA has taught me entrepreneurialism and how to cultivate a beloved brand.
What are the most important aspects of a TOCCA’s brand identity?
We are an independent, European-inspired, fragrance house that is committed to making beautiful products from formulation to packaging. We develop and produce luxurious products that are approachable and attainable.
What’s your decision-making style when it comes to TOCCA’s product releases?
We are a small team and our product development decisions come out of this small team meeting-of-the-minds. All our launches are based on our travel experiences, brands we love, places we love to visit, and memories from growing up. We are not a market-driven company where we’re responding to some perceived white space in a grid. We make things we love and that we’d want to use ourselves.
How does it feel to work with a fragrance-maker like TOCCA with a legacy of 30 years in beauty?
It’s really phenomenal. It’s such an achievement for this beloved brand to be succeeding and thriving after 30 years. Many, many brands have come and gone, so 30 years is a true testament and validation that what we are doing resonates with our customers. We are still New York-based, we’re still independently owned by Gordon, and we’re still making products we love. I feel so lucky to work here.
So, I heard that TOCCA will be available in Ulta stores… What prompted that decision?
We’ve always loved Ulta and how they beautifully and organically blend high and low in their stores. It really meshes well with our brand, which is so much about approachable luxury.
How would you describe the TOCCA’s clientele?
Largely female, living in the city, suburbs, and exurbs. She appreciates craftsmanship, design, aesthetics, and beautiful fragrances.
What are the new Spring 2023 TOCCA’s fragrances for ULTA?
Ulta is carrying our newest scent, Lucia. She is a gorgeous fig-lemon fragrance that drives down to a woody vetiver.
What’s your favorite TOCCA fragrance?
Florence is our worldwide bestseller – she’s a creamy bergamot gardenia that’s named after Gordon’s daughter. Right now, I’m in love with wearing Lucia. I catch myself smelling my wrists, and I’m getting lots of compliments from my family!
Here’s TOCCA’s lineup, which has something for everyone, including:
- Fragrance – Six of the top selling 50 ml. fragrances are featured, including Stella, Cleopatra, Florence, Giulietta, Colette, and the recently launched Lucia.
- Olio Sublime Profumato – Three of the fan-favorite Dry Body Oils make their debut, including Cleopatra, Stella, and Florence
- Discovery Set – The perfect product for trial or travel, the Discovery Set contains 8 fragrances that provide the perfect scent for any occasion or mood.
- Mini Wonders Ornament Holiday Set – Looking for the ultimate holiday gift? This adorable ornament contains the brand new, mini fragrance Lucia along with mini best seller Florence.
This Spring 2024, head to Ulta to experience TOCCA’s best-selling limited edition spring sets, including a deluxe fragrance set exclusive only to them. TOCCA has classic fragrances that can live with you and grow with you through time, so it is truly a timeless sample for fragrance lovers. Every fragrance has special an aroma that can fit any occasion. TOCCA is now coming to the beauty haven ULTA. Take the time to discover TOCCA at Ulta, indulge, and celebrate almost 30 years of the hand-crafted beauty and affordable luxury that is TOCCA Beauty.
